Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Molecular Evolution

帐篷毛虫的幼虫表现出多样的生活方式，从单独的个体到简单的聚集到高度整合的社会。 在北美有六种软体动物，欧洲有五种。 在这个群体中的社会复杂性被定义为群体成员之间的互动和沟通，并被认为是与寄主植物利用和觅食的模式。 在本属的社会形式的多样性提供了一个模式系统，阐明生态相关的社会性的进化，以及社会性的方式可能会影响宿主植物的使用。 社会帐篷毛虫属天幕毛虫（鳞翅目：Lasiocampidae）的物种之间的系统发育关系将通过应用分支系统的方法，基因序列数据进行评估，以调查在这组的社会行为进化模式。 一些帐篷毛虫是经济害虫，更好地了解这一群体的群体生活特征对房主和农民具有重要的经济利益。

The larvae of tent caterpillars display a diversity of lifestyles, ranging from solitary individuals to simple aggregations to highly integrated societies. There are six Malacosoma species in North American as well as five European species. Social complexity in this group is defined in terms of interaction and communication between group members, and is thought to be correlated with patterns of host plant utilization and foraging. The diversity of social forms in this genus provides a model system for the elucidation of ecological correlates to the evolution of sociality, as well as of the ways in which sociality may influence host plant use. Phylogenetic relationships among species of the social tent caterpillar genus Malacosoma (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) will be assessed through application of cladisitic methods to gene sequence data to investigate patterns of social-behavioral evolution in this group. Some tent caterpillars are economic pests and better knowledge of the group-living characteristics of this group is of important economic interest to homeowners and farmers.